Stern action has been sought against a local food manufacturing company for supplying substandard nutrition food items to government girls primary schools in district Badin under President's Tawana Pakistan Program.
Mohammed Qaiser Anis District Badin Coordinator of Tawana Pakistan Program made this demand while addressing a news conference at Karachi Press Club here on Monday.
He said to increase enrolment of girl students in government schools, the Federal Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education had started a Rs7.63billion project to provide one packet of milk and nutritious biscuits daily to 0.5 million students - aging from five to 12 years - at 7000 government girls schools in 50 districts of country.
He said from Sindh district Badin was chosen for the project and Federal Minister for Social Welfare and Special Education Zubaida Jalil had formally inaugurated it on March 1, 2007.
Qaiser Anis said a Lahore-based company Vita Pakistan Private Ltd. was given contract to supply these food items across the country including 170 schools in district Badin.
He said during current year, complaints were received from five talukas of district about substandard quality of biscuits and milk, adding many children suffered from stomach problems due to use of substandard biscuits and milk.
He said an official of the company assigned in Badin, Umer Farooq Chaeema, was informed about the situation and shown samples of such items and his signature on the monitoring form was also obtained.
Later, under the supervision of Ministry of Science and Technology, these samples were sent to the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) laboratories and monitoring report was dispatched to senior officials.
Qaiser said higher authorities directed the Operational Director of company to recall the stock of substandard items, replacing them with fresh one. Despite these orders neither the stocks were taken back nor quality was improved, he claimed.
He said on Sept 19, 2007 a PCSIR research report declared these items of Vita Pakistan as harmful to human health, which was moved to authorities. Moreover, an FIR was lodged against said company's officials on Sept 19, but almost one month had lapsed but police were reluctant to arrest the nominated persons.
TPP Coordinator blamed that company's owner was hurling threats of serious consequences to him, besides pressurizing the Ministry senior officers for withdrawal of the FIR. In spite of clear orders of government, the company is still supplying the substandard food items to schools, he added.
He requested to President, Prime Minister and Federal Minister to cancel company's contract and declare it black listed, besides ordering an impartial inquiry into the matter. The factory should also be sealed, he demanded.